27 Sep Target: Facebook Fan Page Example in Detail #25
In our next to last installment of the 26 Facebook Fan Page Examples in Detail series, I’ll be checking out the big bull’s-eye, Target. With headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Target’s Facebook fan page currently boasts 18.1 million fans. How well are they doing at engaging with this large audience? I take a look at their page and analyze their content strategy and engagement.
Target Facebook Timeline
Like all brand pages after Facebook’s most recent update, visiting the Target fan page automatically takes you to their timeline. Their profile picture and cover photo are clearly branded with the highly recognizable bull’s-eye logo, but they also feature a whimsical quality that fits well with Target’s brand personality as seen in their traditional advertising.
Target’s timeline is also populated with relevant milestones like when they were founded and images of older versions of their logo. I admire that they’re not just throwing out dates; instead, they’ve customized many of their milestones by adding in a little personality and language relevant to the time period.
Facebook Tab: Give with Target
When I first began analyzing their Facebook Page, the focus of Target’s cover photo and several of their promotional status updates was their Give with Target campaign. Using clearly identifiable visual cues in these assets, Target drove fans to the tab to encourage them to vote to help send money to deserving schools.
The tab has a strong tie-in with the back-to-school season. Fans are encouraged to search for a school and vote for it to receive donations from Target; schools will get a $25 Target gift card for every 25 votes, up to $10,000 each. The tab has already seen more than 3 million votes and counting, and I’ve noticed family and friends sharing links within my own newsfeed, proving that timely promotions can often lead to more success and interaction.
Target Facebook Content Strategy
Looking at the content that’s being posted to their timeline, it’s clear that Target’s social media team understands the importance of visual updates, as nearly every recent post is accompanied by a photo.
In the past month or so, there has been a strong increase in the percentage of posts with photos – primarily those of products or images related to current promotions. But rather than simply pushing fans to purchase or visit their website, Target has made these products relevant to fans’ lifestyles by tying the photos and content into current events and other timely topics of conversation.
Engagement Rate Comparison: Target vs Walmart
For a better glimpse of how their page is performing relative to competitors, I compared some of Target’s most recent posts to those on Walmart’s Facebook page.
I noticed that Walmart is following a similar content strategy, posting photos of products sold in their stores, but they often don’t include links driving back to their website. This posting style can encourage fans to interact with the posts directly in the form of Likes, Comments and Shares, as opposed to clicking on links that send them off to another website. With this strategy, Walmart has seen a slightly higher average engagement rate, but the two brands are virtually neck and neck in terms of the type and frequency of content posted.
How do you think these brands are doing on Facebook? Tell us in the comments.
